by Kelly Sigler

Created on: August 06, 2008   Last Updated: August 25, 2008

THE TOP NINE STRATEGIES FOR CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE EXECUTIVE INTERVIEWS

If you are just starting out on the quest for success with a new business, particularly in the area of medical device and manufacturing companies, you already know how incredibly time consuming your new job is. One of the most important responsibilities you will have is to hire new executives to manage your emerging business, but the interview process is long and tedious, especially when you aren't getting much help from your overworked HR staff. This article will present you with nine effective ways to keep your interviews short and your sanity intact.

1. First things first: Decide exactly what you're looking for in a job candidate.

Your new executive will have many responsibilities within your company. Some of these people could conceivably be dealing with life or death situations in a medical device manufacturing business. They will need to have in-depth knowledge of certain aspects of the medical field. Do you need them to know what CE Marking is? Will they be required to submit a 501(k) Pre-Market Approval (PMA)? Are they going to be communicating with the FDA on a frequent basis? These are all important questions you will need to be thinking of before advertising for an open position within your company. Once you know what your specifications are, be certain that your expectations for their qualifications are clearly defined. This will save you time later on by immediately weeding out unqualified candidates. You don't want to end up interviewing someone who thinks CE Marking is a new form of body art.

2. Prepare for any eventuality.

Preparation is absolutely the most important aspect of a successful (and short) job interview. Knowing that you will be squeezing these candidates into an already packed schedule, you should take the time to prepare questions and information ahead of time. You may even need to take your work home with you, but hey, at least you can work in your skivvies at home, right? Make an exaggerated list of questions you'd like to ask. Write more than you'll need so you don't look silly if you finish up in three or four minutes. Do your research on the candidates. With all kinds of online resources available today, you can check out an interviewee's MySpace or Facebook pages to see what they are like in their daily lives. Check out references the old fashioned way (by phone), and read over their resumes thoroughly so that you know as much valuable information as possible

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